Chapter 29: The girl from years ago

Klaus’s Pov

When I was a kid, I had a huge crush on this girl..

I didn’t know her name– I never asked, I was such a pussy back then.

She had the prettiest smile and the most beautiful laugh in the world.

I didn't know anything about her but I knew she was different.

She always had these two girls around her and they were always together. One was a bit grumpy and always liked trouble and the other as calm and collected even as a child. I always thought she was the leader of the trio.

Then there was her– she didn't do too much to be an icon, she seemed so confident all alone and when things seemed a bit difficult,she made sure to always find that confidence somewhere.

I tried to talk to her but everyone seemed to want to be her friend and because she was so nice to everyone, it seemed like I'd be one of those people she was just nice to.

But I wanted to be her real friend. I even told Ethan I'd marry her one time.

Stupid me.

The first time she ever spoke to me– just me and not me in a group of people she was speaking to was in colouring class.

I could never forget that day– even if I lost my memory, I'd remember that moment.

My drawing was a piece of dogshit– the colours didn't stay in the lines,the sky I had drawn looked like a battle of colours and none of them were blue. And I was this close to tearing up the paper and pretending I lost it.

Hers was perfect, I even saw her yawn, you know that ‘it's just a walk in the park’ kind of yawn and I was blown away by how perfect it looked.

I even thought she was a witch.

Then she leaned over and smiled– I know it's kind of less manly to say this but my cheeks literally turned red.

“Hey” she said softly “need some help”

I froze trying to speak but only breathing noises found its way through.

“Youre colouring too hard” she said pointing at my crayon “thats why it looks too thick and messy” she came closer and snuck a fresh paper on my desk “here”she whispered “i took this from miss tara’s desk, you're already good at the drawing part”she said and carefully squeezed the old drawing without attracting suspicions “just colour a bit lightly and you’ll get it perfectly” she winked and went back to her work.

I kid you not, after she left i couldnt move or function in any way. Her voice sounded so sweet that if she had insulted me I would've smiled and said thank you.

She was basically perfect and I couldn't tell her how her smile made me have butterflies so I just watched her.

everyday . I noticed everything about her, her smile, her walk, when she got upset, when she felt bad about something.

Her favourite meal.

Everything.

But i was too much of a coward to approach her. And honestly, I wish I did because everything changed so fast.

She didn't smile the way she did anymore.

She didn't talk or encourage anyone anymore.

She didn't join in competitions or volunteer to lead.

She wasn't in a trio anymore, it was now a duo.

And the most important thing I noticed was that she ate.

Not graciously and consciously like she always did, this time it was… sad, forced,exhausting

I didn't understand any of it.

It was just like yesterday she was happily helping the school janitor pick up trash in the hallway and the next day, she wasn't even looking at the hallway.

It was like someone took something from her and never gave it back.

At first I thought she probably had some things going and she'd be back in a week or two but it lasted longer.

And I waited.

I waited for her to lean over someone's desk and correct their colouring.

I waited for her to raise her hand in class and volunteer to lead class projects

I waited for her to stand up to a bully and tell them their haircut was bad.

And most of all, I waited for her smile that always reached her eyes.

But nothing changed.

Eventually , mom moved us out of town for a while and I never got to see her again.

I didn't even know her name

I didnt know if id see her again

Years passed and we came back to town. I changed but still hoped to find her.

Even after all those years, she still lingered somewhere in my heart.

Then one day –

What I thought to be a random picture fell over the desk of a girl I had already fallen in love with.

She almost hurt herself trying to pick up the picture from a shattered frame, I helped her instead and eventually picked it up.

I saw her.

The girl from years ago.

The one whose smile was the only thing I looked up to whenever I went to school.

The girl whos laughter were like singing birds to my ear

The girls whose jokes i never got tired of even if she didn't directly told them to me

The girl whose confidence alone felt like the word confidence was invented after she was born and dedicated to her.

Something ached in my chest and realization hit.

I could finally tell her thank you for helping me at colouring class that day.

And even if she didn't look, sound or acted the same, it was her and I could see it.

I finally found her.